Situation in the Middle East

Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Prévot will visit Helsinki on 7 April and meet Finland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen.

A joint statement of fourteen countries on the situation in Lebanon.

Finland will grant two million euros in humanitarian assistance to the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR’s operation in Lebanon to support refugees and internally displaced persons.

On 11 March 2026, Finland joined a joint statement coordinated by France and issued by the countries contributing troops to the UNIFIL operation. The statement condemns, among other things, Hezbollah’s involvement in Iran’s attacks and calls on Israel to refrain from strikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure and to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. In addition, the statement emphasises that all parties must respect international law.

The situation in the Middle East is serious and concerning, and at this stage it is difficult to assess how long it will continue.

EU foreign affairs ministers will convene for a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on 16 March. Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will represent Finland at the meeting.

The foreign ministers of the EU and the Gulf countries will hold an informal video conference on 5 March. Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will represent Finland at the meeting.